We are waiting for the answers from Yamaha but would you buy one?
The Ducati Scrambler has been a massive sales hit. We’ve seen them everywhere from the promenade in Douglas during the Isle of Man TT races, to scratching city corners in central London. It would seem that their appeal is both global and universal. Lightweight, easy to use power and with enough retro dash to appeal to young and old, it makes complete sense that Yamaha muscle in with this, the XSR700.
In Yamaha’s own words, here are the details we’ve just been sent.
The Faster Sons Philosophy
Yamaha’s Sport Heritage bike building philosophy continues to move forward and evolve. Sharing its strong belief in respecting the iconic styles and designs of Yamaha motorcycles of the past, whilst intending to push the boundaries of motorcycle technology to create amazing bikes with real character that never compromise on riding ability. Yamaha called this new philosophy ‘Faster Sons’, a name that tips its hat in respect to the bikes that came before, whilst also showing pride in the faster sons of today and tomorrow, because above all, we love to ride.
To give tangible proof of this philosophy Yamaha chose to work with legendary Los Angeles based Japanese bike builder Shinya Kimura. Kimura’s shared vision of the Faster Sons philosophy led to a collaboration to produce the ‘Faster Son’, a tangible, real world concept motorcycle that embodied both Yamaha and Kimura’s belief in blending retro style with modern technology.
Design Inspiration
Building on the success of this collaboration, Yamaha is now launching the first production motorcycle that lives and breathes the Faster Sons philosophy. The all-new XSR700 takes its place as the latest model to join the Sport Heritage range, a casual, retro styled street bike that pays tribute to the iconic Yamaha XS650, a pure masterpiece of Yamaha simplistic design that still inspires today.
Underneath the super cool styling beats the heart of Yamaha’s latest technologies, the XSR700 delivers on the promise of the collaboration between Yamaha and Kimura with its perfect mix of timeless style, modern technology and emotional riding experience.
The XSR700 is a feast for the senses; its style is enhanced with a number of high quality parts to complete its look. Riders can enjoy an authentic retro feeling with the two-texture leather seat unit sitting on an easily customizable bolt on rear sub-frame. An old school style headlight and fastening stay sets it off at the front, and an aluminium tank unit reminds the rider they’re sitting on a Faster Sons machine. With a wet weight of just 186kg the XSR700 is the first of its kind, a modern day entry-level icon to style up the riding life of both new and experienced riders.
A period style speedometer sits between the wide tapered back handlebars, which offer a casual & upright riding position for its rider and a trick mesh cover on the side keeps all the high tech electronics under wraps. Use of quality metal materials such as aluminium on several components, including the front fender stay and radiator cover also work to complement the overall retro feel. A short stubby rear muffler provides the right soundtrack and Pirelli Phantom tyres front and rear not only look the part with an authentic pattern, but also do the job to keep the rider connected to the road.
The Ride
It’s not just in looks where the XSR700 delivers; the beating heart of the machine is Yamaha’s class leading 700cc inline 2-cylinder engine. Having powered several of Yamaha’s latest class leading motorcycles to huge success across Europe, the 700cc power plant was a natural choice for the XSR700. Built on the special ‘crossplane philosophy’ the perky motor kicks out a linear, deep torque for not just outstanding acceleration, but smiles in every gear. The uneven firing interval and 270-degree crank ensures a strong sensation of acceleration and outstanding traction, while maintaining continuous smooth & exciting power delivery till high rpm.
Power is of course nothing without control and the XSR700 excels in the handling department with a compact, lightweight chassis for remarkable agility and rideability and a short 530mm swing arm for further control. This combination of engine and chassis ensures the XSR700 is not just the perfect ride for new motorcyclists with the added benefit of ABS as standard, but also a massive dose of fun for more experienced riders.
This combination of engine and chassis ensures the XSR700 is not just the perfect ride for new motorcyclists but also a massive dose of fun for more experienced riders.
The rear suspension is a clever link-type Monocross system featuring a horizontal shock mounted directly to the engine’s crankcase, not only saving space to keep a clean look at the rear but also improving chassis performance.
The modern technology complementing the retro style continues with lightweight 10-spoke aluminium wheels and stopping power courtesy of 282mm wavy discs and 4-pot calipers at the front.
The XSR700 is the first bike of its kind to hit the market from Yamaha that truly delivers the complete Sport Heritage lifestyle, combining everything that is cool and inspiring from the old school custom motorcycle scene with all the latest technology to ensure maximum riding fun.
With the success of Yamaha’s new range of motorcycles, you’d imagine this would fit really good into the South African market. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment in the box below.
